2011 Bentley Mulsanne - First Drives

Magic Carpet.

I will nail my colours to the mast: I am a huge Bentley fan, especially of the Mulsanne.

No other car delivered a motoring sensation as did that car. Its combination of stately presence underlined by a torque-laden engine that delivered startling acceleration was unique in the world of motoring.

And I am glad to report that in its latest invocation it doesn't disappoint. In fact, it does more, and does it better than the car it replaces.

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Underpinning the car is a brand new chassis, unrelated to any other platform within the Volkswagen Group, that is lighter and stiffer than its predecessor. Combine that with new adjustable air suspension, ZF's 8-speed automatic and a totally reworked version of the 6.75-litre twin-turbo V-8 that still delivers 505 hp and 752 lb.-ft. of torque and you have a heady cocktail potent enough to fire any enthusiast's soul.

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The latest design wins too, invoking as it does the Heffernan and Greenley Continental R with a 4-door silhouette that is handsome and confident on the road, especially on 21-in. wheels.

Inside, Crewe's fabled attention to detail has been taken to new heights. Nothing you touch or see is artificial: Chrome is icily cold, veneer silky smooth, leather warm and carpeting comforting. It's a sybarite's delight.

But it's behind the wheel with its command driving position that driving takes on a new definition.

Whereas with the old Mulsanne it was a case of accelerate, brake, turn-in in separate phases, the new car blends the three into one seamless motoring experience. Even though it weighs 5700 lb., the Mulsanne whips to 60 mph in an uncanny 5.1 seconds, though it's so serene that it's difficult to take in, whilst the 184 mph top speed was well beyond the roads I drove over. The car rapidly settled down into a natural three-figure gait whilst conversing at the same levels as you would in a gentleman's club.

Is there a better car in this class? No, there are different cars but not better ones.